Drive-gearing for traction-engines.



D. W. KEYESI. DRIVE G-EARING FOR TRACTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILEDMAB..18, 1908.

928,458. atented July 20, 1909.

M xmm &

M%ii H/iM consists generally in DARWIN WzKEYES, OF HENRY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

DRIVE-GEARING FOR TRACTION-ENGINES.

To all whom it it try concern:

Be it known that I, DARWIN W. Knrns, a citizen of the United States,residing at .Henr county of Codington, and State of South Dakota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Drive-Gearing forTraction-Engines, of which the following as a specification.

My invention relates to traction. engines and particularly to the drivegear for traction engines. a

The object of invention is to provide a drive Wheel for tractionengineswhich shall have abroad tread and so arranged that the power willbe applied thereto at substantially the center of the rim or tread.

,A further "object'of my invention is to provide a'differential drivemechanism for traction engines which shall be of simple construction,and one which willnot readily get out of order. s

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

.VVith these objects in view my invention a. power driven drive shafthaving a pair of sprocket gears loosely mounted thereon, a pair of driveWheels operably connected to said sprocket gears, ratchet clutchesforcoupling said gears-to the drive shaft and means for yieldingly holdingthe clutch members in contact.

My invention further consists in a power driven drive. shaft having apair of gears loosely mounted thereon, a pair ofdrive wheels operablyconnected to said gears, a

I pair of ratchet clutches for each of said gears,

one clutch being used in driving the machine forwardly and the other forreversing the Same, and means for shifting said gears into engagementwith one or the other of said clutches and for holding the same inyielding engagement therewith.

My invention further consists in'a traction engine havinga power drivendrive shaft, a pair of gears mounted thereon and a pair of drive wheelshaving broad treads or rims and means for operably connecting said gearsto said Wheels at substantially the center of the rims, to the end. thatthe power shall be transmitted equally to both edges of the rim. -Myinvention further consists in various details of construction andarrangements of parts all as Will hereafter fully described andparticularly pointed out 1n the claim.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 18, 1908.

Patented July 20, 1909.

erial No. 421,846.

drawings forming and in which, i

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the under frame of a tractionengine equipped with a drive gear embodying my invention 1n itspreferred form, and Fig. 2 is a} detail sectional view of one of thedrive wheels.

Referring to the drawings 1 indicates cona part of this specification,

ventionally the underframeof a traction engine supported upon the drivewheels 2 and the front or steering wheels 3. The drive wheels 2 aremounted upon the usual axle or shaft i and are of a peculiar, and novelconstruction. T he drive wheels for traction ongines which are intendedfor heavy draft purposes must be very broad, that is, provided withbroad treads or rims. Heretofore, so far as I am aware, the drive gearfor each drive wheel is connected toone side thereof. This, for heavywork is -undesir able, especially when the treads of the wheel are verybread as it causes undue strain on the axle or shaft and notinfrequently bends the same. In carrying out my invention. I connect thepower centrally of each rim and in this way dispense with the strain onthe axle tending to bend the same.

5 indicates the rim of the wheel which is provided with a gear portion6' arranger-l centrally of its periphery. In order to prevent the gearfrom becoming clogged with mud or dirt I depress it somewhat below theouter face of the rim. The gear portion 6 may be the ordinary spur gearbut I refer a sprocket gear and have so illustrated it in the drawings.In making turns, one drive will turn faster or in advance of the other,hencea suitable differential drive mechanism must be provided for. i

7 indicates the drive shaft which is driven from the engine through thegear 8. The shaft 7 extends transversely of the machine and is providedwith the sprocket gears 9- 9 'which are substantially in alinement withthe. gear portion 6 of the drive wheels. The gears 9 are loosely mountedon the shaft and are coupled thereto byratchet clutches.

In order that the device may be driven either forwardly or baekwardlytwo clutches are provided for each of the gears 9, one of which isoperable to drive the wheel 2 1n one direction and the other to drive itin the opposite direction. To this end each gear s provided with aratchet clutch member 10 upon its outer face and a similar ratchetmember 11 on its inner face which cooperate with clutch members 12 and13 respectively,

red to the shaft 7. The clutches 1012 and 1113 are similar with theexception that when the former is in clutched position the machine maybe driven forwardly, whereas when the latter are in engagement themachine can only be driven backwardly. The clutch members 12 and 18 areso positioned or spaced apart on the shaft that the clutch members onthe gear can engage with only one at a time, and suitable means areprovidedfor shifting the gear from one to the other as desired, and tohold it in yielding engagement therewith. Pivotally mounted as at 14adjacent to each gear 9 is a forked lever 15, the bifurcated ends ofwhich are provided with the rollers 16 which bear against the oppositefaces of the gear 9. Pivotally mounted as at 17 is the operating lever18 which may be actuated in any suitable manner. To the end 19 of thelever are connected a pair of stout springs 20 and 21, the former beingconnected to the bifurcated end. of one of the levers 15 and the other(21) being attached to the opposite end 15 of the other lever. Securedto the lever 18 as at 22 are a similar pair of springs 23 and 24, thespring 23 being secured to the end 15 of the lever to v. hich the spring20 is attached and the spring 24 to the bifurcated end of the l oppositelever.

It should be noted that the points 19 and :22 at which the springs areattached to the lever 18 are at substantially equal distances onopposite sides of the pivot pin 17. vBy throwing the lever to theposition shown in full lines, the springs 23 and 21 will throw theclutch members 10 into engagement with the clutch members 12, and holdthem in yielding engagement therewith. \Vhen in this position themachine may be driven i forwardly. However in making a turn the outerdrive wheel 2 is free to turn vmore 2 rapidly than the inner one, theratchet clutch permitting its respective gear 9 to turn in advance ofthe other. By throwing the lever 18 into the position shown in dotted.

tion with a pair of gears mounted on said shaft in alinement with saiddrive wheels and operably connected thereto, oppositely 01peratingratchet clutch members upon tie opposite sides of each of said gears,cooperating clutch members on said shafts on each side of said gearsrespectively, said members being fixed to the shaft and said gears beingloosely and slidably mounted thereon a short bifurcated lever pivotallymounted adj acent to each of said gears for throwing the same and theirclutch members, an operating lever pivotally mounted between saidbifurcated levers and. a plurality of springs connecting said operatinglever with said bifurcated levers sothat movement of the former in onedirection will operate the latter to throw their'respective gearsinwardly and 'movement in the opposite direction will throw said gearsoutwardly and hold the respective clutch members in yielding engagement,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DARWIN w. REYES.

'itnesses:

HELEN F. LILLIS, llOVAR'I) Ausrry.

